A new poll shows people are starting to recognise we have to limit spending on the NHS but, says Ben Page, the public's pride in the health service is a major hurdle to delivering a more efficient service

Alison Benjamin: The health service is geared to saving lives, but if it had targets to meet that made patients better informed about end-of-life care services, perhaps Mum would have had a 'good' death

Vidhya Alakeson: The business secretary, Vince Cable, is right to order a review of zero-hours contracts, which are increasingly being used in health and social care and can be deeply exploitative of employees

Annette Chowthi-Williams: The prime minister's proposal that the issue of care and compassion in the NHS can only be addressed by trainee nurses first working as healthcare assistants is profoundly flawed